Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .338WM load suggestions

Starting to load for my 338WM - all I have for bullets now are 210 partitions and 225g TTSX - only powders are IMR 4831, RL19, IMR 4350 and Win 760 - can anyone share some good loads.
Thanks

I want to order some 180g bullets - any bullet and load suggestions there would be appreciated also.

Try the RL19 first. It seems to be THE powder for the 338WM. Max loads in the manuals vary quite a bit with 225s from 74.0gr-78.0gr. I never used a 210 bullet in my 338WM.

RH

+ 1 on the RL19


Ed

I have heard RL 19 is the schitt for the .338 Win but I will be darned if it doesn't do squat for me. I have however had repeatably good groups with IMR 4350. Either way, you do have some good powders to start working with.

Enjoy,

.338 Winchester Magnum

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments

175gn Barnes X 76gn H 4350 3098

200gn Hornady 59gn H 4895 2766 REDUCED LOAD

200gn Nosler BT 65gn Varget 3.442" 2949
66gn Varget 3.367" 2996
70gn 760 2888
71gn 760 2945
72gn 760 3021
74gn H 4350 3007
75gn H 4350 3.439" 3079 .8" Best load
76gn H 4350 3100

200gn Barnes X 58.6gn Varget 2672 Mild

210gn Partition 69gn 760 2956
70gn H 4350 2844
71gn H 4350 2881
72gn H 4350 2965
65gn Varget 2881

225gn Speer BT 65gn Rel 15 2707
67gn Rel 15 2812
69gn Rel 15 2934 4302 Warm Load
70gn Varget 2953 4358
71gn Varget 2980 4438
71gn H 4350 2817 .9" 5 shot groups.
78gn H 4350 2961 4381

225gn Partition 74gn WMR 2724
64gn Varget 2541
66gn H 4350 2656
67gn H 4350 3.371" 2666
68gn H 4350 2849
67gn 760 2700
68gn 760 2752

225gn Barnes X 73gn H 4350 3.313" 2862
74gn H 4350 2879

250gn Grand Slam 72gn WMR 2633
73gn WMR 2645

250 gn Partition 63gn Varget 3.309" 2699
64gn Varget 2724
66gn 760 2686
67gn 760 2697
68gn H 4350 3.390" 2675 .3" Best Accuracy
69gn H 4350 2698
71gn WMR 2621

Bullet Load Powder O. A. L. Velocity Energy Comments

250gn Partition Federal Factory 2550 3611 .5" Very Accurate but slow

250gn Jensen 69gn H 4350 3.417" 2693 MOA Load

250gn Woodleigh 70gn H 4350 2647
71gn H 4350 2679
72gn H 4350 2736

250gn Sierra BT 73gn Rel 19 2529 .9" 3 shot groups

250gn Hornady 68gn IMR 4350 2708

275gn Speer 63gn Varget 3.278" 2572
64gn Varget 2590
66gn 760 2504
67gn 760 2574
68gn H 4350 2538
69gn H 4350 2585
70gn WMR 2479
72gn WMR 2594 4110

JW

RL-19 with 200/210's to 3000 FPS
RL-22 with 250's to 2750 FPS

I don't normally use 225's, but if I did, I'd use RL-22.

RL-17 might be a good possibility, but I haven't tried it in the 338, but it has done well in other cases that like '22.

MM

I would go with RL 19 or IMR 4350. They have always performed very well for me in several .338 Win Mag rifles.

One side note: for whatever reason, RL 19 has always shot better for me when used with a regular large rifle primer compared to a magnum large rifle primer. I have tested this with several brands and it always comes out the same. With standard large rifle primers RL 19 gives smaller groups and better Standard Deviations on the chronograph than with magnum primers. Go figure!

Personally, I am currently using H 4350 with magnum primers in my .338 Win Mag, but either RL 19 or IMR 4350 should work well for you.

I would not even mess with 760 powder. Too much lot to lot variation and too much temperature sensitivity.

I'd try R19 first and then 4350

Dober

Both of my 338's like R-19. Both shoot 74 gr. with 225 TSX into 1" groups at 2860 fps. I have also had good luck with R-22 and H4831. I never could get H4350 to work well.

The 225 TSX is a missile shaped like a 250; it seems to like RL-22.

To my notion the monos get what the next heavier weight cup cores and Partitions used to get.

Really like the defunct Barnes RN solid atop RL-25; all my cup core 250's get 25 and all my 225-230gr. get 22.

Thanks for all the suggestions - can't wait to get started.
I found R Flowers comment interesting with regards to primer and RL-19 - I may have to give that a try.
Thanks again!

I believe with the Barnes TSX and the 338 Win Mag you can safely kill anything in North America with the Barnes 210 TSX. You may want to read some of Coni Brooks' hunting adventures with the 185 TSX. She has had remarkable success globally using the 185 TSX. Both the 210 or 185 TSX have remarkable terminal effect if placed in the right area. Personally, I've had good luck using H4350/72.0 with WLRM primers and seating the 210 TSX bullet somewhere between .040 and .050 off the lands.

I am using both RL-19 and Ramshot Hunter with 210 grain bullets in my .338 WM and have developed accurate loads with both powders.

My local store only had 225TSX in stock - I need to order some and get my hands on the 210's also.
I have had good luck with accubonds in other rifles that I want to try in this one also.

The 250 AccuBombs shoot lights out in my A-bort. H4350 works good with 'em for me, used the nosler data. Just seat the boolits close to the lands and work up.

Texas

I like the 210 TSX and RL19 in mine. If that didn't work I'd use 4350. A lot of rifles use a lot more powder than mine will handle but velocity is good at 2930 fps. The .338 is a heck of a big game killer at least for me.

I'm also new to the 338 and my rifle does not seem to like RL19. Better results with both Hunter and RL22.

My rifle really like the 225g TTSX and RL22. This is the most compressed load I have ever used in any cartridge. Does this ever create problems? I have heard of heavily compressed loads pushing bullets out. Anything to it?

My favorite load for the .338 WM is 73 grains/IMR 4350/210 grain/Federal 215 primer. Nosler Partition bullet. Works great on elk; never recovered one.

for the life of me if I had a 338 I would want to shoot at least 225's in it. The 210 seems so close to what you can get in a 30 caliber gun. The 225 TSX is interesting.

210-grain Nosler Partitions with approximately 73(+/-) grains of Reloder 19.